Nature Restoration Fund Community Grants Programme opens for applications

11th August 2026

Community groups, charities, public sector bodies and other eligible organisations across Highland are being encouraged to apply for funding through the 2026/27 Highland Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) Community Grants Programme, which opens for applications on Friday 14 August 2026.

Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, with grants available from £2,000 to £25,000 for capital projects that help restore nature, safeguard wildlife and address biodiversity loss.

The Nature Restoration Fund is a Scottish Government capital fund that supports projects delivering practical action for nature restoration. The fund plays an important role in delivering the Scottish Government's Strategic Framework for Biodiversity, including the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 and Delivery Plan to 2030, which aim to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and make significant progress towards nature recovery by 2045.

Since 2021, The Highland Council has combined its own nature restoration projects with a community grants programme, enabling local groups and organisations to deliver projects tailored to the needs of their areas. Over the past five years, almost £1 million has been awarded to 96 community-led projects across Highland.

Funded projects have included the creation of wildflower meadows, local tree planting initiatives, wetland and wildlife pond creation, and the removal of invasive non-native species to improve habitats for native wildlife.

Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said:

"Highland communities have shown tremendous enthusiasm and commitment to restoring nature in their local areas, and the Nature Restoration Fund has helped turn many of these ideas into reality.

"Over the past five years we have seen projects delivered across Highland that are making a real difference for biodiversity while also creating benefits for local communities. From tree planting and wildflower meadows to wetland restoration and habitat enhancement, these projects are helping to build a healthier and more resilient natural environment.

"I would encourage eligible groups and organisations to consider applying to the fund and play their part in helping us meet our shared ambitions for nature recovery and tackling the impacts of climate change."

The Nature Restoration Fund aims to support projects that address the key drivers of biodiversity decline, including habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation of natural resources, and the impacts of invasive non-native species.

Keith Readdy, Boleskine House Foundation SCIO Trustee, who previously received NRF funding said:

“The Nature Restoration Fund has enabled us to make lasting improvements for biodiversity on the ground, while also involving volunteers and strengthening long-term care for the landscape. The project has created real benefits for nature already, and those benefits will continue to grow as the restored habitats establish over time.”

This year's programme also supports wider national priorities, including the development of Nature Networks, identified in the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) as a key mechanism for improving ecological connectivity and helping biodiversity adapt to climate change.

The Highland Council's own Nature Networks Project, previously supported through the Nature Restoration Fund, has enhanced biodiversity across more than 3,500 Council-owned sites, including parks, roadside verges and disused land, through measures such as native tree planting, wildflower meadow creation and pollinator-friendly planting.

Applications are welcome from:

Constituted community groups
Public sector bodies
Charities
Co-operatives and community ownership initiatives
Development trusts
Organisations with alternative governance structures are encouraged to contact nrf@highland.gov.uk to discuss eligibility before applying.

The Nature Restoration Fund supports capital projects only.

Further information on the fund, eligibility criteria and application process, along with the Nature Restoration Fund Review highlighting the impact of previous projects, is available at About the fund - Nature Restoration Fund - Highland Council - https://www.highland.gov.uk/nature-biodiversity/nature-restoration-fund

Approved projects 2025/26

The following projects have been awarded Nature Restoration Funding by The Highland Council:

Arisaig Community Trust - Reviving Nature in Arisaig - £17,238
Aultbea Community Council - Himalayan Balsam Removal in Laide/Aultbea - £7,600
Balmacara Community Trust - Balmacara Woodland Park Regeneration Project - £13,798
Beauly Fishery Board - River Beauly: Improving Atlantic salmon smolt survival - £6,263
Broadford and Strath Community Company - Nature Restoration, Broadford Community Woodland - £8,500
Broadford and Strath Community Company - Biodiversity Enhancement, Broadford Community Garden - £2,620
Butterfly Conservation Scotland - Re-establishing a population of Dark Bordered Beauty - £20,164
Butterfly Conservation Scotland - Restoring Habitats for Priority Lepidoptera in Easter Ross & Sutherland Coastal Landscape - £11,219
Community Association of Lochs and Sounds - Lochaline Native Oyster Restoration Project - £25,000
Culduthel Woods Group - Pond Improvement Project - £9,000
Farmer Jones Academy CIC - Gro For You - Ross-Shire Nature Pond - £7,500
Friends of Merkinch LNR - Merkinch Warden Programme - £16,650
Go Flourish - Fungi, Flora, Fauna - North Kessock’s Biodiversity Boost - £14,426
High Life Highland - Nocturnal Forage Restoration - £5,365
John Muir Trust - Rainforest Restoration in Britain’s Last Wilderness - £12,315
Knocknagael Ltd - Creation of a Species Rich Wetland - £7,000
Knocknagael Ltd - Creation of a Species Rich Meadow - £4,270
Laide and Aultbea Community Woodland - Newt Pond Restoration - £3,439
National Trust for Scotland (NTS) - Gleann Leac na Muidhe INNS Eradication Partnership - £16,000
NICE Nairn - Dune Resilience Project Nairn ( Phase 2 ) - £20,110
Rogart Development Trust - Restoration of the Mart Site – Wildflower Meadow - £2,177
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - Tern Raft Revival - £16,569
Scotland the Big Picture - Torlundy Wild Connections - £21,480
Scottish Wildlife Trust - In-Stream River Restoration at Ben Mor Coigach - £11,287
Speyside Fields for Wildlife - Glenbeg Habitat Restoration - £15,388
Strathdearn Community Developments - Wildflower Meadows & Orchard Creation in Community Areas - £8,151
Boleskine House Foundation SCIO - Tree Planting and Wildflower Seed Harvesting - £6,625
West Sutherland Fisheries Trust - Eels in Loch Assynt - £4,330
Wick Development Trust - Wick Riverside Biodiversity Improvements – Phase 2 - £9,100
Applications open on Friday 14 August 2026 and will be assessed on a rolling basis.